GEO who is part of the Herrera consultant team just completed our first workshop with the City of Vancouver, B.C. to develop an Integrated Water Management Plan for the Cambie Corridor Project. This project encompasses 1,000 hectare or 9% of the City’s total area, will add 34,000 new housing units, and support 50,000 new residents by 2041. GEO will be using guidance provided by the City’s Biodiversity and Urban Forest Plan to quantify ecosystem services that this project will generate.

GEO’s work spans the globe from exotic resort master planning to supporting WA state local developers in developing strategies to minimize environmental impacts to critical areas. I am still lucky enough to get in the field and dig pits to identify hydric soils for projects. I am always in awe of how water, microbial communities, and soil create amazing underground art forms. This is a great example of depletions and concentrations in wetland soils.

An epic sunset over the Da River valley, west of Hanoi, Vietnam. GEO is working with SOM based out of San Francisco to develop a master plan for this 402 hectare resort development tucked within broad-leaf tropical forested hillsides. GEO is leading the roadway, drainage design, and ecological planning for this project. Lucky to have my partner in crime, Bill Lucas with me on these trips.

Mark Merkelbach worked with the SWA Laguna Beach office to provide hydraulic and ecological design of the Baxi Island in Changsha, China. This involved modeling river water surface elevations which were used as a basis for design of permeable island levees, multiple wetland complexes, and habitat wood structures. This project was recently recognized as a ULI Urban Open Space Award Finalist.

Typhoon Nida caused substantial flooding in Guangzhou last week. GEO is working with Chinese cities (i.e. Wuhan, Ningbo, Zhenjiang) to optimize existing infrastructure and designing retrofits using SMART technologies to make cities more resilient to extreme events.

Green Earth Operations attended a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the Dihua Wastewater Treatment LID retrofit project in Taipei. The Taipei City Public Works Commissioner, Cheng-sheng Pong also in attendance was a big advocate for this project and wants to promote more LID throughout the city. GEO was the lead civil and landscape designer.

GEO has been working on stormwater projects well before the central government coined the term “Sponge City.” We are one of few foreign firms with comprehensive experience and success in terms of planning, analysis, design, and construction. We work directly for municipal governments and partner with local and foreign design teams. Let us know how GEO can help!

The foundation for the Forest Gate Weir has been constructed. This weir spans 34 meters in length was design to convey base and flood flows (5 cubic meters). This is one of 55 individual water structures that GEO designed with Terrain Studios for the 26 square kilometer Xing Yuan New Town project in the City of Hanzhong, China. Stay tuned for updates in the reaming 54 structures!!!!

Two Anna’s hummingbird babies hatched about 15 days ago and are growing at exponential rates. The two of them barely fit in the nest. It will be a sad day to see them leave but we are hopeful to see mom next year, same time, same tree and start a new family. Happy spring to all!